Punish me, Professor, I dare you.

Chapter 10: Sour and Sweet

Scintillating snow covers the scenery around Hogwarts as time slowly passes, the short days dressed in a greyish color as it's expected in winter. It gives quite the cozy feeling, especially when my head is in the clouds constantly, since my bat caught me by surprise on the stairs. The last few days of school before the holidays feel like a snail race, everyone is cheering for them to go faster, but their speed leave a lot to be desired. The teachers, taking in consideration the approaching holidays, come up with very interesting ideas to entertain the children, rather than teach them. Lupin brings out a boggart, organizing a competition on who can give the boggart the funniest look, and the winner gets house points as reward. He makes the last few classes real amusing, inserting some of his own jokes as extra, and we're rolling on the ground by the end of DADA. Flitwick teaches the girls how to conjure themselves a pair of colorful wings on their back, and some of them are even able to levitate off the ground; meanwhile, the boys can learn a spell which gives them ferocious tiger claws as hands. McGonagall just lines up our little pets, and transfigures them into random things we tell her, and we all have a good laugh over a few transformed animals. Sprout shows us some magical flowers that change color, based on our mood if we touch them. Aurora describes each of us in a detailed manner, using the zodiac signs and the stars' position on the day we were born. And Trelawney gives each student a small fortune telling about our holiday and what the next year brings for us. She tells me that I will face great difficulties, but I'll be surrounded by delight in the middle of my pain. This certainly gives food for thought. Every professor thrives to make us feel good and teach some interesting things while having fun. Except Snape of course. He keeps his class exactly the same, and to piss us off even more, the students have a quick test in the middle of the week.

In this period, I do good on Snape's request, and write flawless essays of the books he sent me as a form of flirting (if we can call it that) and I successfully regain our lost points. I have a long and detailed discussion with Drax about what happened after he was sent away, and my friend gives me a double thumbs-up when I tell him we shouldn't show ourselves in front of Snape together. Not yet anyway. I'm still having question marks about how exactly I will tell the potioneer that Drax is actually gay, but more importantly, I can't imagine the reaction Snape might have when he realizes that he fell for our trick. He will not be jumping with joy, that's for sure.

As the weekend arrives, the castle gradually becomes emptier and emptier, students pulling their trunks out the main gate, everyone off to their families for Yule. Only twenty people or so remain, as we reach Saturday afternoon, and I can finally begin my secret plan for the holidays. I went to Hogsmeade yesterday to buy some ingredients, and I wrote to my mom to acquire a very rare book for me, as a Yule present, knowing she and dad have many connections with important people. I got the response this morning that the book will arrive to me on Yule morning, so the timing will be perfect. I just pray that Merlin helps me accomplish my plan.

I search for professor Sprout before she goes on holiday too, and ask for permission to use the school's kitchen, since the Hufflepuff dormitory is near the Hogwarts kitchen, and Pomona is in charge of that territory. She nods to me enthusiastically when I tell her what I wish to make, and I'm permitted to bake and cook to my heart's content today. So, I take my ingredients and tying an apron around to my front I begin my surprise for the dungeon bat. I'm planning on preparing him his favorite dessert, the one I saw in his memories, a Holiday Blancmange. I place the mistletoe berries, some dirigible plums and cinnamon accompanied by other basic ingredients on the table, and get to work. The Blancmange is not difficult to make, so I manage to be ready with it in an hour. I quickly assemble some cute, small sandwiches, cut up some chicken tenders and fry them, and for the final touch, I take an empty bottle, and fill it with red wine using magic, and put a cork in the mouth of the glass. Perfect. Now I conjure a lovely little straw basket on the table, and place everything in it nicely. Taking out Snape's handkerchief (which was still in my pocket after he saved my life in the forest) I cover the nice foods, and use a protective charm on them which keeps it fresh until tomorrow, then, my legs hurry back to my dormitory.